‘RIGHT AND WRONG’

‘Incel’ Found Guilty of Killing 10 People in Toronto Van Attack

The judge rejected Alex Minassian’s defense that he was not criminally responsible because of his autism spectrum disorder.

Alex Minassian, who drove a van through a sidewalk full of pedestrians in Toronto in 2018, killing 10 people, was found guilty by a judge on Wednesday. The perpetrator of the horrific attack—the city’s most deadly to date—had claimed that his status on the autism spectrum made him not criminally responsible for his decision since he couldn’t empathize with his victims. The judge rejected that defense, finding Minassian guilty on 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. “This was the exercise of free will by a rational brain, capable of choosing between right and wrong,” said Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy. “He freely chose the option that was morally wrong, knowing what the consequences would be for himself, and for everybody else.” Minassian told police after the attack that he identifies as an incel and said, “I feel like I accomplished my mission.”